


How they knew

by LaGemini



Series: Holmescest [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Humor, M/M, No Eurus Holmes, Sherlock Being Sherlock, no fall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:54:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25118737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaGemini/pseuds/LaGemini
Summary: They individually have known about the actual relationship between Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. They didn't know others knew or even parents Holmes knew.Then, they were invited to Holmes manor on boxing day, and Mrs. Holmes wanted to know how did they found out.Hilarity ensues and Mycroft suffers.
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes
Series: Holmescest [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1847773
Comments: 14
Kudos: 219





	How they knew

**Author's Note:**

> Not an English user, looking for a beta!

Mrs. Holmes answered the door soon after the bell rang.

“Come in, come in! I believe your journey was uneventful?” Mrs. Holmes ushered them in without hearing the answer and there were chorus of ‘Hello, Mrs. Holmes’ from the herd.

That is how Gregory Lestrade, John Watson, Molly Hooper, and Mrs. Hudson, picked up by Anthea, found themselves in the Holmes manor living room on a boxing day.

“You can put your bags here for the remainder of dinner. It’s almost ready. I would make boys show you your rooms, in case you want to change beforehand, but as you can see, they are busy arguing right now,” with that, Mrs. Holmes went back to the kitchen, tutting. Mrs. Hudson followed her happily claiming she wants to help.

The remaining guests’ gaze was glued to the two prior occupants in the room not exactly hearing Mrs. Holmes. Sitting in individual armchair with their legs crossed, are Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. They were totally silent in contrast to Mrs. Holmes’ claim about them arguing, except for a miniscule twitch of facial muscles or fingers; slight raise of eyebrow, slightly narrowed eyes, slight tilt of one end of lip, etc.

“Are they really…?” John, who was not at all familiar with Holmes brothers silent in each other’s presence, especially while they are arguing, asked nobody in particular.

The answer came from the armchair. “Of course we are arguing, John. Can’t you see? It’s obvious.” Sherlock said in a bored tone, inconsistent with the claim of them arguing.

John huffed a laugh. “Sorry for not noticing, Sherlock. I am used to you two arguing out loud.” He then started to put down his bag, finally coming out from the feeling of surreality at the situation. Others followed his example and sat down on the couch.

“I noticed that people feel uneasy when we don’t say things out loud, Dr. Watson. We voice things if there are others, but full sentences are not necessary for us two. Of course, we are by no means telepathic, but we were having decade old argument that we didn’t have to say even a chopped up sentences out loud.” Mycroft was still intensely staring at Sherlock while saying it, but the argument must have been over then, as he soon turned to face the spectators watching with interest.

He gave his usual tight-lipped fake smile at them. “Hello, Dr. Watson, Dr. Hooper, Inspector. I believe there were no complications during your journey? Anthea, I hope Beth found my present satisfactory?”

“She loved it, thank you, sir.” Anthea smiled back at Mycroft’s words, briefly tearing her gaze from her ever-present blackberry.

Her gaze went right back to blackberry, and John and Molly were startled by a sudden scoff from Sherlock. Greg didn’t show any visible sign, but he seemed slightly disconcerted as well. Of course, Mycroft noticed it.

“My apologies. Let’s do this again. Sherlock?” Mycroft said with indulgent smile.

Sherlock rolled his eyes, but dutifully said it anyway. “What did you give her this time?” His tone was excessively flat, though. Mycroft gave a fond smile.

“Couldn’t you deduce, brother mine?”

“Of course. A fountain pen. How dull.”

“What would you suggest, then?”

“How would I know? I don’t know this Beth woman.”

“But you seemed to have a better idea on her present than myself. So, a suggestion? Then the scoff from Sherlock. We never had to do it in our parent’s house, so we apologize for occasional slipping.”

Mycroft smiled one of his unapologetic smile contrary to his words, but John couldn’t mind. Holmes brothers’ interaction was too fascinating to spare his mind on something trivial like that. Molly and Greg seemed to be in the same opinion.

“So you two actually argue. Not all of it was a ruse?” John asked curiously.

Sherlock scoffed once more. “Of course we argue. Can you imagine us not arguing with each other?”

“Well, no, but I also couldn't imagine you two being, you know, several weeks prior.” John lifted his eyebrows a bit to convey his meaning.

Before anyone could answer that, Mrs. Holmes called them to the dining room.

The prepared food looked delicious and abundant. There were awed gasps from the guests, which made Mrs. Holmes and Mr. Holmes slightly puff up in pride.

They all sat down, Sherlock automatically sitting beside Mycroft, and helped themselves. It was slightly awkward, inevitably, but the food was great and Mrs. Hudson was already acquainted with parent Holmes before to fill the silence.

“Thank you for inviting us, Violet.”

“Oh, of course. I am glad that I could finally persuade them to invite you over. Now that John finally knows, they don’t have any more plausible excuse not to.” Mrs. Holmes laughed merrily.

John just laughed awkwardly. He was informed that the parent Holmes knew, but he couldn’t start to grasp on how to act at the situation. It’s not everyday you get invited to friend's parents who know about their sons' incestuous relationship.

“Mummy, we couldn’t just tell him just for you to invite them over on the holiday.” Mycroft protested.

“That’s why I didn’t push it more than I did, Myc.” Mrs. Holmes answered sternly, even though her twinkling eyes betrayed her amusement. “I tried to get them invite the people in the know at least, but alas, they were adamant that they couldn’t do that to the others who don’t know.” Mrs. Holmes pretended to be heartbroken for a moment.

Holmes brother’s expression was pinched, strangely feeling like they invited their significant other to home and their parents are airing all their dirty secret. Which was impossible considering their parents knew their significant other for their whole life.

John, Greg, and Molly was 100% sure Sherlock and Mycroft didn’t care about left one’s hurt feeling and they were just using it as an excuse to fend off the Mummy Holmes. Which made them start to enjoy the dinner at the prospect of knowing dirty and embarrassing secret of Holmes’.

There was nothing special until the dinner is almost over. However, after the dessert was distributed, which reminded the guests of the different circumstance at the lack of diet joke from Sherlock, Mrs. Holmes wore a sly smile. It was brought to everyone’s attention by Mycroft’s groan.

“Why did you have to groan? We might have been able to stave off for a few more minutes if you didn’t!” Sherlock complained to Mycroft furiously. Which was quite apparent to them that it was for their sake that he spoke out loud, because Mycroft shot apologizing and irritating glance to Sherlock even before he said something.

“You know as well as I do that that won’t stop Mummy. At all.”

“That’s very true. So, I’m curious. How did you know about them? They didn’t tell me more than the fact who knew.” Mrs. Holmes smiled eagerly.

Everyone except brothers perked up at that. They didn’t know the others knew. They were informed just before they got off the car by Anthea, not having any time to discuss with the others.

“I was easy. It was impossible not to notice it when I have to tag him along almost everywhere or set up a security measure for him.” Anthea answered first, and it was not that different from what they imagined.

But apparently there’s more story to that, seeing Sherlock sniffing haughtily at it. It was Mycroft who answered others’ questioning gaze.

“Well, we could have hidden it better. But as Anthea said, there’s no way she wouldn’t have noticed it someday, so informing her was our plan from the start. You were deemed safe to trust by the time our relationship changed, thankfully. It took 5 and a half months for you to notice it, which were a week shorter than I predicted. Well done.” Mycroft smiled one of his small but genuine smile at Anthea, which was a novel sight for John, Molly, and Mrs. Hudson.

“And he still didn’t inform lovely Anthea that we know about it as well until this year. Not until he had to due to my invitation. Honestly, Mycroft, must your life be full of secrets?” Mrs. Holmes scolded Mycroft a bit and Mycroft’s expression turned to a sulky one before he goes back to his dessert. John and Greg tried very hard not to laugh.

“In my case, Sherlock outright asked what I think about incest between fully-consenting adults with no risk of getting pregnant. My first impression of Mycroft was worried sick beside Sherlock’s hospital bed due to overdose. It was easy to connect the dots.” Greg shrugged remembering Sherlock glaring at him aggressively while asking it.

“Yes, that was… not planned. We didn’t plan to tell you so soon, if ever. You are working on law enforcement after all. Thankfully you were not adverse or disgusted by the idea.” Mycroft answered with slightly pained expression before spooning the pudding from his bowl.

“He was hitting on you!” Sherlock put his bowl down with a clatter and pointed an accusatory finger at Greg.

“What!? I’ve never…!” Greg’s jaw hit the table at the accusation. John and Molly’s as well. Anthea merely raised a single eyebrow in amusement. Mrs. Hudson looked like she has everything she ever wanted in front of her. Probably true, thinking she has more interesting drama than Mrs. Turner’s.

And Mycroft hissed, “Sherlock!”

Sherlock glanced Mycroft’s face and huffed. “Fine! Leering at you then!”

Mycroft scrubbed his face and sighed. “My apologies, inspector. I know you didn’t… leer at me. Appreciated the view, more like. Which I have found very flattering. For goodness sake, Sherlock! We talked about it, he was married back then!”

Which was a very good reason not to worry, John thought. As far as he knew, Greg stayed faithful even though his ex-wife didn’t for a long time.

“It’s not like I acted out without thinking,” Sherlock said, sulking and stabbing his pudding. “You agreed with me that he probably won’t mind. You found out everything you can about him and knew him better than his wife after you knew I will be working with him. And I waited a year, My, to see if our assessment was wrong. A year!” Sherlock complained with a particularly vicious stab.

Mycroft’s expression softened at that. Which nobody except Anthea saw on elder Holmes’ expression.

“I know, little brother. You knew him better personally than me after a year, and I know you thought it was a similar case with Anthea. I trusted your judgement on it, and it was proven right.” Mycroft soothed Sherlock softly, and Sherlock seemed placated by it as his expression softened as well.

John watched in amazement that the brother could be anything other than antagonizing towards each other. Of course he intellectually knew they must be with them being a lover, but this was the first time he saw the firsthand evidence.

Mrs. Hudson must have thought so well, since she cooed at them at being so ‘cute’. Sherlock and Mycroft grimaced at the description and the soft atmosphere vanished into the thin air.

“Please, you won’t think it _cute_ if you see how hung Mycro- umph.” Sherlock didn’t get to finish the scoffing by scandalized Mycroft slapping his hand over Sherlock’s mouth. Which he drew back a mere moment later as if it was burnt. It was shining with saliva and Mycroft wiped it with his napkin with distaste.

Others’ faces were red, trying to hold back the laughter.

“What? It’s the biggest I have ever seen-.“

“You have never seen others’ besides mine!” Mycroft hissed desperately as he failed at blocking Sherlock’s words physically.

“Definitely not true. I have seen countless corpses-“

“Which were without erection!”

“- which, of course, the erected length can be deduced by proportioning, and a few porn to have the decent pool of specimen, I think, brother mine. Don’t you agree?” Sherlock finished with a sweet smile.

By then, the whole table erupted with laughter with Mrs. Hudson leering at elder brother who was blushing. Blushing! _The_ Mycroft Holmes was blushing!

“Please, Sherlock. Not in front of our parents, at least.” Mycroft moaned with his eyes covered with his hand.

“Why? It’s nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, I think we should thank them for giving us an excellent genetic pool.” Sherlock was grinning devilishly, and Mrs. Holmes didn’t miss a beat. “Your welcome, dears.” The table erupted with laughter once more, the occupants clutching their stomachs.

Mycroft’s expression was pained for a few seconds, but he couldn’t keep at it seeing genuinely amused Sherlock chuckling at him with shining blue eyes. He smiled back.

“So that is why Sherlock is so totally gone on him? I thought it was his big brain.” Mrs. Hudson joked after laughter dies down a little, staring right at Mycroft’s crotch as if the table wasn’t blocking the view.

“Of course, he’s _big brother_ in every sense.” Sherlock answered in exceptionally straight face and Mycroft outright groaned.

“Please. _Please_ let’s not talk about my… private part.” Mycroft’s cheek was flaming.

“As you wish, My. Of course it’s not his _private part_ , which certainly didn’t hurt or rather _did hurt_ – don’t look at me like that Mycroft, I didn’t say anything more about your cock –, that made me start a relationship with him, Mrs. Hudson. Most of you saw him only in British government persona. Always in three-piece suit, sleeve garters and umbrella, even now. You wouldn’t know how stunning he looks when he’s thoroughly debauched-“

“SHERLOCK!” Mycroft stood up shouting to block Sherlock’s words, and at the same time, Molly moaned ‘oh _YES’_.

Everyone halted at the sound and stared at Molly incredulously. Well, everyone except Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. Hudson, and Anthea. Their eyes were twinkling with amusement and interest. Molly flamed red in embarrassment. Mycroft sat down numbly.

“I, I….um” Molly gulped.

“Don’t be shy, dear. We all know my boys are dashing in their own unique ways. Just like Siger when he was young.” Mrs. Holmes cajoled Molly, patting Mr. Holmes’ arm. Mycroft looked like he might bolt in any moment.

“Well, um. That, that is how I found out… you know, umm… that. I walked in on them…?” Molly finished her words with great effort. Her whole face and neck were flaming red.

“That was Sherlock’s doing.” Mycroft mumbled with his face buried in his hands.

“Well, I certainly didn't think it otherwise.” Anthea quipped jokingly and John laughed again at Mycroft’s betrayed glance towards her.

“It was my doing, obviously,” Sherlock smirked cheekily before continuing. “But Mycroft meant that I staged us to be walked in. You wouldn’t think we would be that careless, do you? Asking you to come by and forgetting it to be caught in compromising position with my brother?” Sherlock scoffed at the mere thought.

“We could have used other approaches! We were talking about it!” Mycroft protested.

“You were getting antsy about her interest in me! I almost was able to see your plans to make her disappear! And I was considerate enough to be fully clothed and not letting her see anything!” Sherlock retorted hotly, and Mycroft grudgingly conceded at the last sentence. “Looks like _I’m_ the one who should regret that decision now. Just kissing would have been enough without her _moaning_ thinking about how sexy you looked back then.” Sherlock grumbled.

John and Greg were constantly laughing at the event. They just couldn’t help it with the sitcom in front of them.

“So what, you deduced that she will be okay with incest as well? How did you know? I myself didn’t know I would be okay with it.” Greg asked between his laughs.

“Pfft. It was easy. You have high moral standard and generally adhere to law, but at the same time doesn't mind slight leeway like consulting me if it meant efficiency and no risk to the others. It was highly probable that you won’t mind as long as we proved we started this after I was fully consenting adult and there was no coercion involved.” Sherlock explained dismissively, and everyone who knows Greg nodded in agreement.

“And Dr. Hooper’s case was easier. She has been… let’s say _fond_ of sexual pairings between imaginative characters who were portrayed as brothers in the show: Loki and Thor, and Sam and Dean, for example. It was quite possible that she would see the incest part erotic rather than disgusting.” Mycroft explained after Sherlock, finally regaining some of his composure now that the focus of the conversation is changed.

Unfortunately, it made slightly whitened Molly flame in red once more.

Mrs. Hudson sighed dreamily. “Of course, all those forbidden loves…”

John winced at Mrs. Hudson’s fascination at drama.

“Well, Martha, what about you? How did _you_ know? Did you suspect it from the start?” Mrs. Holmes asked Mrs. Hudson.

“Oh, Lordy, no. I just thought that they weren’t enemies as they claimed. Secretly pleased to see the other but not showing it, like any other siblings.”

“Me and Harry definitely do not have that kind of relationship.” John joked.

“So this was planned exposure as well?” Greg asked in general direction of Holmes brothers. It was obvious there were no secrets between the two. If one knows, the other knows it too.

“Yes and no.” Mycroft looked slightly embarrassed, and they knew this would be a good story as well. Everyone leaned forward slightly.

“We did plan to tell her because she was the most obvious one who wouldn’t mind such taboo, but,”

“Mycroft got jealous.”

“Sherlock!”

“What? It’s true. He got jealous and got sloppy, and she heard us having angry sex in my room while she was home. Honestly, Mycroft, you should have checked if her checkers friends cancelled the night or not.” Sherlock admonished Mycroft in condescending tone.

“Please, Sherlock. No sex talk in front of our parents, at least. _Please_.” Mycroft groaned about hundredth time tonight, and John would have felt sorry for him if it wasn’t so bloody hilarious.

“Fine, fine. It's not like they don’t know, though.” Sherlock rolled his eyes. “It’s true anyway. You got sloppy because you were jealous and Mrs. Hudson found out accidentally.” Sherlock finished petulantly. He must have been high on being able to deceive everyone unless they wanted to, John thought.

Mycroft turned solemn contrary to everyone’s expectation. “Sherlock,” Sherlock immediately turned to him and looked chastised at his tone. He knows the line. “You took unnecessary risk to save that Addler woman. I wouldn’t have liked it if you asked, yes because I was jealous, but you knew I would have helped you if you did. But you tried to evade my surveillance and security just for _fun_ and just to push me. You could have been in a serious danger if I didn’t find you in time. Machete, really? Without even a gun?”

Mycroft’s phone rang at the same time Mycroft chided Sherlock. Mycroft checked it, and excused himself.

“Sherlock, it didn’t pass through me. Is it an urgent disaster or a whining politician?” Anthea looked slightly worried at the possibility of the former. She normally knows, but Mycroft’s mood right before the call made it ambiguous.

“It’s PM. Excuse me.” Sherlock didn’t spare a glance at them and followed Mycroft out.

“’It’s PM?’ What does that indicate?” Greg asked Anthea.

“It means it’s whining PM needing sir’s soothing to feel important on boxing day, feeling emasculated at home.” Anthea answered rolling her eyes.

The occupants laughed at that.

“So, Martha, were they _healthy_?” Mrs. Holmes asked Mrs. Hudson, emphasizing the word healthy.

“Oh my, Violet, I first thought the ceiling was going to collapse. I thought they were fighting and on the verge of checking in when I heard unmistakably loud moan from Sherlock and thought otherwise.” Mrs. Hudson laughed merrily and Mrs. Holmes joined her in. Mr. Holmes smiled besides them.

John, Greg, and Molly watched them in amazement. Mrs. Hudson, they could understand, but parents Holmes? They have nothing against those two, but they couldn’t help but be amazed at how normal it seemed in here.

“Um, Mrs. Holmes, can I ask when did you and Mr. Holmes know about…?” Molly asked timidly, gaining slight confidence at Mrs. Holmes’ encouraging smile.

“Oh, we knew from the start. Or before, should we say, Violet?” Mr. Holmes asked Mrs. Holmes with loving gaze.

Mrs. Holmes nodded. “We knew from the very start. They were inseparable when they were just kids. They acted like there were only two of them in their universe even from the start. Siamese twins with seven years apart, Siger and I used to say. When Mycroft left for college, he called Sherlock every day, writing letters almost every day, and sending things at least once a week. He came back at every opportunity he could get.”

“So you were okay with it just like that?” Greg asked curiously. He didn’t know the brothers were that close when they were young. He couldn’t imagine it even after knowing their true relationship.

“Well, no,” Mrs. Holmes admitted. “But not the taboo part or an age gap part. They are there for those who are vulnerable upon elder’s influence. I won’t say Mycroft didn’t have any influence over Sherlock, that will be a complete opposite of the truth, but I knew Mycroft will never hurt Sherlock. I don’t know exactly what transpired between them, but I am absolutely sure it was Sherlock who kept pushing and pushing until Mycroft’s willpower crumbled upon his insistence.”

And everyone in the dining room agreed with Mrs. Holmes’ assessment, knowing Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Even when they only saw Mycroft with his cool persona before today, it was clear for them that he cared for Sherlock more than anything.

“Then what was your concern?” Molly asked.

“That they didn’t have any other opportunities to find the alternatives. What if their isolation to general population and connection to each other due to their brain is the only thing between them and not love? What if one of them find someone who has a brain close enough to them and move on? What if they regret it later? What if the required secrecy was too much for them to handle? And so on and on. You must understand, we were worried about both of them and worried about what ifs when they don’t work at the end.” Mrs. Holmes murmured with faraway look.

Mrs. Hudson gently cradled Mrs. Holmes’ left hand with her own. “I understand, Violet. You must have been scared for both of them. They were so young and had too much life ahead of them. Had too much to loose.”

Mrs. Holmes nodded mutedly and squeezed Mrs. Hudson’s hand in silent thanks. Mr. Holmes continued. “They were close, but it was apparent that it became more when Sherlock hit his puberty. He had a crush on Mycroft, which he couldn’t hide very well because he never understood the mechanism of crush due to the lack of interest in it. He didn’t know enough to know which reaction he had to hide. Mycroft also became troubled after Sherlock’s growth spurt and noticing Sherlock’s crush towards him. That was when Sherlock was 15, and Mycroft was 22.”

John’s lips formed a silent O. Seven years were not much at their age, but it is such a big difference when they are young. Especially when it was between adult and underaged teen.

“So?” John asked tentatively, not sure what happened after.

Mrs. Holmes drew in a shaky breath. “So we urged Mycroft gently. He agreed with us right away and we didn't say anything more than his name, actually. He just began his career at the secret service then, and he took overseas operations voluntarily. _Legwork_ , he says.” Mrs. Holmes smiled a teary smile.

John could hear the word in Mycroft’s voice in his head. Mycroft’s distaste of the word was clear every time he utters it.

“We couldn’t hear from him often during the operations, making Sherlock wait for the call several days or even weeks at times. Then Sherlock acted out, started to take a downward spiral. We don’t know the specifics, but it was obvious that Mycroft suffered as well.” Mr. Holmes said with a sad smile.

“We hoped that time could give Sherlock a chance to interact with other people, or at least know what the world is like apart from Mycroft. And vice versa with Mycroft as well. We would make the same decision even if we are under the same situation again, but it was clear that it was a wrong decision for those two.”

John could hear a deep regret in Mrs. Holmes’ voice, and it wasn't hard to connect the dots that it had led to Sherlock’s drugs and subsequent overdoses. He could understand Mr. and Mrs. Holmes’ decision perfectly, but he couldn’t help but think what would have happened if Sherlock and Mycroft weren’t separated.

“What about now?” Anthea asked with her head tilted. They know parents Holmes accepted the situation and looks like they are more than okay with it, but maybe they are still worried.

“Now? Now we are happy for them. We know Sherlock didn’t make it easy for Mycroft when he got back and took the desk job to be there for Sherlock. Sherlock of course knew the whole reasoning behind Mycroft’s legworks and our urging for him to do so, but that didn’t make him feel less abandoned. Mycroft made it hard for Sherlock as well with all his guilts at the situation. Now they obviously are over them and they are so much in love with each other. I am absolutely sure they are the only ones who can understand the other perfectly, and they would rather die than hurt one another. What more could a parent possibly want?” Mrs. Holmes proclaimed with glowing smile.

They all nodded and smiled back at Mrs. Holmes. What more, indeed.

“I’m still adjusting to it, though. Intellectually I know the fact, and there are things I saw today, but it was not something I thought I could imagine less than a few weeks ago; Holmes in love.” John said, shaking his head.

Molly and Greg nodded a consenting nod.

“I knew it for several years and Molly apparently saw them in action,” Molly blushed once more, “but I still never saw them doing more than standing closer than necessary. There even were time to time that I thought they were just pulling my leg.”

John, Molly and Mrs. Hudson nodded an agreement. Anthea shrugged. She saw them with soft expressions like earlier a few times, but not full on loving mode.

“Well, they do have to be careful, won’t they? They can’t just advertise it around,” Mr. Holmes answered with mischievous grin. “I think it was enough time, don’t you think, dear?”

At Mrs. Holmes’ nod and matching mischievous grin, Mr. Holmes urges them to follow him. “Silently, come on.”

When they reached around the corner leading to the seating area, they could hear the murmur of Mycroft’s voice. Mr. Holmes gestured them to peek around the corner, emphasizing the finger on his lips to be silent.

Mycroft was still talking to the phone leaning on the back of the couch, but it was obvious that his attention was on Sherlock who was right in front of him, standing between his slightly parted legs.

Much like what they saw when they arrived, they were conversing nonverbally. Mycroft’s quirked eyebrow as an answer to the tilt of Sherlock’s head, slight smile responding to the twinkle of the other’s eyes, strange and brief gestures occasionally during the nonverbal conversation. Their eyes were shining with affection and their whole face and their body language screamed love.

“I don’t recognize the gestures. It’s not a sign language.” Molly whispered, crouching under Anthea.

“It’s what they developed when they were kids. Sherlock was too prideful to say out loud of things he needed help of.”

They smiled at Mrs. Holmes’ explanation. They could very well imagine kid Sherlock stubbornly refusing to seek help.

“We were able to understand at least part of it when they were kids – it was based on the sign language – but it got condensed and simpler over time. Now we can’t understand it at all and it’s too silent at home.”

They could understand the difficulty of translation. The gestures were too brief and far apart to be anything more than a couple of words, not even a short sentence. Even if they know what the gestures mean, there's no way they could follow the conversation.

“They were good at voicing things today. Why don’t you ask them to?” John asked curiously.

“They slip into conversing silently only when they feel safe and comfortable to acknowledge their relationship. I didn’t want them to start putting on a face in front of us. They won’t show their affection towards each other when they have to say everything out loud, and we don’t want them to.”

Everyone nodded in understanding. At the same time, Mycroft bid goodbye to the PM and gave warm smile to Sherlock. Sherlock quirked a genuine smile in response and leaned down to press a soft kiss on him.

Women cooed at the sight. John had to agree with ealier Molly that seeing them together was _hot_. Greg already knew they would. He _did_ appreciate the view from the start.

“But you wanted some conversation despite of that, so you decided to invite them and torment us.” Sherlock spoke loudly at them still standing between Mycroft’s legs and gazing Mycroft with affection. Nobody looked apologetic at being caught.

“Torment _me_ , more like.” Mycroft rolled his eyes at Sherlock.

Sherlock smirked at that and placed a short kiss once more before stepping out of Mycroft’s legs. Mycroft smiled with equal amount of fondness and indulgence at Sherlcok and righted himself as well.

The guests could see what parent Holmes was talking about. Just by standing up and getting ready to mingle with them, the brothers were putting up a front. Not the antagonistic relationship they portray to the general public, but front nontheless with carefully masked affection and love.

The guests got back to the dining room for a drink or a cuppa, feeling like they just have gotten a precious gift for being able to see them without any facades.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought: what if they all know? How would they know and what would have been their reaction?  
> I first tried to write individual chapters of situations and reactions, but came up with this instead. Hope you enjoyed :)
> 
> Comments appreciated!


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